


The Biological Basis for Falling In Love

by margaerystark



Category: Orphan Black (TV)
Genre: Canon Continuation, F/M, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-23
Updated: 2016-08-23
Packaged: 2018-07-16 17:32:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,384
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7277371
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/margaerystark/pseuds/margaerystark
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A collection of moments shared by Krystal Goderitch and Scott Smith. (Picks up where 4x10 left off)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Social Psychology of Attraction

He’s been staring at the same pouty face for the past few hours or so without much conversation to dispel the awkwardness. Hell-Wizard left him with Krystal to take care of a dog he’s pretty sure the guy made up not long after she flicked their game pieces across the table and declared their game of Zombicide over.

He doesn’t know how to approach this new member of the Clone Club with her perfectly manicured fingernails and wavy blonde hair. But he knows better by now than to judge a book by its cover.

“I don’t know why I wasn’t allowed to go on the mission,” she finally pipes up, “I’m smarter than people think.”

“I believe you.” He does. If he’s learned anything from Cosima and her sisters, it’s that they’re all intelligent in their own way. Nurture certainly had a role in the way they learned to use said intelligence (in some more than others)… but nature played its part as well.

A smile tugs at the corners of her mouth. It’s the first time he’s seen her make any face other than a frown.

“I’m sorry I, like… ruined your zombie game. I just wanted to be a part of the action, you know?” She blinks, giving a small shake of her head. “You can try to teach me again. I’m like super good at memorizing things. I know the names of every nail polish in the salon… In color order.”

He laughs. “That’s very impressive.”

“You can totally stop by some time, and I’ll hook you up with a free manicure,” she offers, her eyes flickering to the small, ornate pieces that she scattered across the board earlier. She lifts a hand to fix one, making him stand upright again. “Straight men come in all the time.” Her gaze goes back to him as she purses her lips. “Well, so do gay men.”

“I’m comfortable enough in my masculinity to get my nails done,” he replies, smiling at her. He knows the suggestion is a gesture of goodwill, even if he’ll never actually take her up on it.

“Awesome,” she says, and then a silence falls between them again as they straighten up the board.

"You don't really think I look like that girl, do you? My... clone?" she asks, her expression unimpressed.

"No, I don't." It's the truth. Krystal and Sarah are like day and night. All of the Leda sisters are. "But while you may not  _look_ so much alike, the biological facts are undeniable," he explains, "You're genetic identicals." 

She presses her lips together, her gaze going back to the table.

"So like... how did you get involved in this science-y stuff anyway?" she queries, reaching for her juice to take a sip. It's mostly melted ice at this point, he's noticed; they've been there for quite some time. 

"I mean, I've always loved science," he replies, giving a small chuckle, "And my best friend, Cosima, she's one of your sist- clones... She's sick. Really sick. We've been working to find a cure for her."

"Oh god, I'm so sorry," she remarks, her tone full of heartfelt sincerity. She places her hand atop his, stopping him from setting up anymore pieces on the board. 

"Don't be. We got a call this morning that she's cracked the code... so to speak. She's going to be okay." 

Krystal smiles, giving his hand a small squeeze before she lets go. 

"Um... how did you get into the beautician business?" he asks, ignoring the voice in his head that's telling him how cute she looks when she smiles.

Her whole face lights up at his question; he's clearly picked the right subject to talk about.

"So when I was, like, twelve, my parents bought me one of those life-size Barbie heads - the ones that are like kind of creepy but fun or whatever. I used to do Barbie's makeup and hair every day. It was just a really awesome hobby in the midst of my angst-filled days as a teenager. God, I don't even want to  _think_ about how awkward I was back then... Anyway, makeup was like my escape, you know? And I got super good practicing on Barbie. So I thought, why not turn this into, like, a career? I want to make people feel beautiful and relaxed and taken care of. Even on their worst days, my regulars know they can come to me and I can make them feel better. I want to be, like, a light in this world."

He nods his head, opening his mouth to comment before she begins to speak again.

"Which is why I shouldn't have said those mean things to my clone." She pouts. "Or to you... I've just been having a really rough time lately since I got into investigating all of this faction stuff. Like my aura feels way off - not my typical, shimmery, sunbeam color. Normally I can change the energy in a room just from, like, walking into it."

"We... we all have our off days," he says, "I don't know if this will make you feel any better, but... I often get caught up in my work and forget that life outside the lab exists, but you've helped distract me and made me smile, so... I think you're a light even on your off days, Krystal."

He watches as she blinks a few times, his eyebrows rising slightly as her eyes fill with tears. "You're so sweet," she murmurs, resting her fingers over his again.

The moment is interrupted by the sound of his cell phone receiving a text, and he gives an awkward laugh as they break from each other and he reads a message from Sarah:

_going to help cosima. keep krystal safe and OUT of trouble._

"So I guess we have a few options," he states slowly, "We have to stay under the radar for a while. I know you want to be a part of the action, but..."

Krystal waves her hand dismissively. "Don't worry about it. As long as people, like, actually keep me in the loop from now on. I guess Estee Lauder or Neolution wants me dead or something now that I know all of their secrets?"

"Yeah, something like that," he mutters, hastily throwing the playing pieces and board into a box so that they can get out of the comic shop, "I imagine Felix would let you stay at his until this blows over. I can text him for you. Or... you're welcome to come to my place."

"Let's go to yours," she responds almost immediately, linking their arms after she gracefully hops down from her stool, "And bring the board game with you. I still want to learn how to play, you know."

His heart speeds up as she throws him another smile, and he grins back at her. "I have a game that's much more exciting than Zombicide at home," he tells her before glancing at her now-empty dome cup. "And a juicer," he adds.

She lets out a giggle. "Then what are we waiting for?" 


	2. The Neurochemistry of Music

Pat Benatar is playing on the radio. Krystal _loves_  Pat Benatar. Apparently Scott does too; his knee bobs up and down in time to the music as he hums along. She never realized a manicurist and scientist could have so much in common.

The past month or so has proved her wrong. Ever since she walked into the comic book shop/secret lab and met her clone, her whole world has flipped upside down, though not so much in a bad way this time around. 

This time around, she has Scotty - Scotty with his adorable, toothy grin and bright aura and seemingly endless faith in her and her endeavors. 

One week she is casually hanging out with him, playing board games and watching movies, and the next he is offering her a place to stay in his spare bedroom.

She doesn't even know how they end up moving in together; he's just a really good roommate, she adores Denise, and he makes her feel safe after all of the shit that has blown up in her face recently.

And now she really wants to kiss him.  _Really._

They’re sitting in their living room with Denise between them, idly taking turns scratching her belly; it’s a typical Sunday afternoon for the both of them.

"I think I'm going to enjoy this night course I've signed up for," he pipes up, looking over at her, "Behavioral Endocrinology… it’s fascinating. Hormones help influence so many of our decisions…”

She likes it when he gets excited about things and his eyes light up.

"Dance with me, Scotty," she murmurs, pretty sure she just interrupted his ramblings on hormonal behavior, though not out of lack of interest.

He stares at her for a moment. "Umm..."

"Come on," she encourages, standing to her feet and taking his hand in hers.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to bore you," he apologizes, blinking a few times as she takes a step closer to him, "We can talk about something else."

"You didn't bore me. It was just totally hard to listen when you're so cute. It’s distracting."

His face flushes a brilliant shade of red, and she can't help but give a small giggle. He slowly stands to his feet, and she loops her arms around his neck so that they can sway back and forth to the music. His hands find her waist, and her heart gives a small leap. She's pretty sure she's never felt this way about anyone. Craig and Hector were exciting and hot and all, but Scotty... Scotty feels like coming home; he's sweet and interesting and believes in her. 

She's almost positive he likes her too. He's just... totally oblivious, though she thinks her asking him to slow dance with her _should_ hint towards her feelings. 

The moment is interrupted by a pounding on the door and a muffled voice outside. “Scott, are you home?”

“Shit,” Scott swears under his breath, breaking from her to unlock the door and let their unexpected guest in.

“I’ve been trying to get a hold of you for the past few hours. Sarah, Alison, and Helena are still in hiding, and Rachel still thinks I’m dead, so we’re ahead of the game, but we’re trying to figure out what our next move – whoa.”  

She’s heard Scotty describe Cosima enough times to know that’s who is standing in front of her, her eyebrows raised high above her horn-rimmed glasses.

“Hey there,” Cosima says before placing her hand on Scott’s back and addressing him, “Can we talk in private for a sec?”

Scott looks to Krystal before she waves him on. He nods his head and leads Cosima to his bedroom. He shuts the door behind them, but it swings open slightly. She takes that as her cue to listen in on their conversation, quietly sneaking down the hallway to peer through the opening.

"Dude, why didn't you tell me you were shacking up with  _Krystal_ of all people?” Cosima questions, her hand on her hip, “Don't you think that's a little... unhealthy?"

"Listen, I never said anything about you and Delphine being together, even when it affected our work. Krystal feels safe here... We look out for each other."

"Oh, yeah? Did you tell her about the time one of the Castor clones broke in and threatened you and your cat's lives? Do you really think you could protect her if something like that were to happen again?"

"It won't. And she can take care of herself, anyway."

"It would have been better if she was far removed from all of this... If she just carried on with her theory on cosmetic wars or whatever. But now you've brought her right into the middle of it all."

"I didn't  _bring_ her into anything. She came to me, and we're happy, Cosmia, okay? I'm happier than I've been in a long time. Someone  _genuinely_ cares about me and supports me. She even... she even convinced me to go back to school. I'm going to finish my degree. I think... I think I deserve happiness after everything that's happened."

There's a long bout of silence before Cosima speaks up again. "You're right, Scott... I'm sorry. Just... keep her away from this whole Rachel mess. Neither of you need to be mixed up in it... And don't let her break your heart, alright?"

Scott smiles. "I wouldn't dream of it." 

Krystal moves away from the door when she sees them hug, hastily reaching for a nearby nail file when they emerge from his room. 

"I'll see you both later," Cosima remarks, giving a small wave.

"Yeah, Scotty tells me you're really good at D&D. He's been teaching me, so you should totally come over for a game sometime," she suggests amicably.

Cosima's lips turn up at the corners, and she gives a nod of her head. "Sure thing."

She walks out the front door, leaving the two roommates to themselves, 80s music still blasting on the radio. Scott busies himself with one of his displays, straightening the action figure on the shelf closest to him.

"Do I really make you happy?" Krystal eventually queries, giving a coy grin as she looks up at him through her lashes and he turns to meet her gaze.

His cheeks grow pink again. "You do." He glances down, giving a chuckle. "Even when you eavesdrop on my conversations."

"It's, like, a really small apartment, and the walls are super thin," she protests, gesturing vaguely. He only laughs again, and her smile grows wider as she moves towards him, slipping her arms around him in a warm hug. 

He's quick to return the embrace, resting his chin on top of her head.

"I'm like... completely falling in love with you," she whispers, and she can feel him take a sharp breath in. 

He draws back slightly, his hands moving to cup her jaw, and he gives a wide smile before leaning in to kiss her. 

When they both pull away, she sees his eyes fill with tears, and he's practically beaming. "Scotty..." she mutters, her own eyes misting over. He embraces her again, and they sway back and forth to the music once more.

 


End file.
